COUNCILLORS will be asked to approve controversial plans to build more than 100 homes on the site of a derelict police station in Christchurch.

Hundreds of people have objected to Aster Homes plans to redevelop the site between Bargates and Barrack Road, warning it could “kill” the town.

But despite this, BCP Council’s planning committee will be asked to approve the scheme when it meets on Thursday (February 20).

Should the recommendation be backed, it would allow the police station, magistrates’ court, former Goose and Timber pub and two Barrack Road homes to be demolished.

In their place, 130 homes, 39 sheltered retirement accommodation units and “flexible” commercial and community space would be built.

Thirty-one per cent of the flats and houses would be 'affordable'.

“The proposals set out in this application represent a positive, creative, and sustainable opportunity to regenerate the single largest brownfield site in Christchurch," the developer said in a statement submitted with its application.

But its plans attracted 126 letters of objection and four petitions with a total of 933 signatures in opposition were collected.

Christchurch Town Council raised concern about the loss of the public car parks while Dorset Wildlife Trust said a proposed 'ecological corridor' was “not nearly adequate to compensate for the overall biodiversity loss”.

Despite this, BCP Council planning officer Sophie Mawdsley has recommended that councillors grant planning permission.

She said the new housing would be a "significant contribution" to the town.

"The proposal, by virtue of the quality of the scheme, would result in a development with significant benefits to the character and appearance and setting of the conservation area and the town centre," her report published ahead of next week's meeting says.

"It would provide considerable economic, and potentially cultural, benefits in a sustainable, accessible central location.

"It will contribute a significant number towards the BCP five-year housing land supply."

She says planning officers are "firmly of the view" that the proposals were not overdevelopment of the site and the plans were "very well realised and very well designed".

A final decision will be made at Thursday's meeting.